The flag of the United States territory of
Guam
Guam (; ch, Guåhan ) is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the westernmost point and territory of the United States (reckoned from the geographic cent ...
was adopted on February 9, 1948. The territorial flag is dark blue with a narrow red border on all sides (border was a later addition). The red border represents the blood spilled in
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
and
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Can ...
sovereignty. In the center of the flag is the
seal
Seal may refer to any of the following:
Common uses
* Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly:
** Earless seal, or "true seal"
** Fur seal
* Seal (emblem), a device to imp ...
; an almond-shaped emblem, which depicts a
proa
Proas are various types of multi-hull outrigger sailboats of the Austronesian peoples. The terms were used for native Austronesian ships in European records during the Colonial era indiscriminately, and thus can confusingly refer to the ...
sailing in Hagåtña Bay near
Hagåtña, and ''GUAM'' colored in red letters. The shape of the emblem recalls the slingshot stones used by ancient
Chamorro people
The Chamorro people (; also CHamoru) are the indigenous people of the Mariana Islands, politically divided between the United States territory of Guam and the encompassing Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in Micronesia. Today, sign ...
. The landform in the background depicts the
Two Lovers Point
Two Lovers Point (Chamorro: Puntan Dos Amåntes) is prominent cape and seaside cliff in Tamuning, Guam, that overlooks northern Tumon Bay and the Philippine Sea. One of four National Natural Landmarks on Guam, it is closely associated with the f ...
cliff on Guam.
Charles Alan Pownall
Charles Alan Pownall (October 4, 1887 – July 19, 1975) was a Vice admiral in the United States Navy and Governor of Guam (May 30, 1946 – September 27, 1949). He was the third military Governor and first naval Governor of Guam following the ...
, the military
Governor of Guam
The governor of Guam ( ch, I Maga'låhen / ) is the head of government of Guam and the commander-in-chief of the Guam National Guard, whose responsibilities also include making the annual State of the Island (formerly the State of the Territor ...
, approved the flag's shape in 1948.
As a complement to the Guam flag design, and in response to Guam law providing for municipal flags, efforts were made to depict the culture of each Guam municipality on their own flag. These efforts to design 19 unique municipal flags were collaborated through the Mayors' Council with the assistance of illustrative artist Gerard Aflague, a Guam born native. These municipal flag designs reflect unique aspects of each of Guam's municipal villages.
Construction details
The length of the flag is forty inches and the width is seventy-eight inches. Around each side of the flag, there is a two-inch red border. The coat of arms in the center is twenty-four inches tall and sixteen inches wide.
Guam Army National Guard
The Guam National Guard is a federally funded military force, part of the National Guard of the United States. Guam Army National Guard (GU ARNG) is the Army National Guard of Guam which, together with the Guam Air National Guard, comprises the ...
attaches a miniature Guam flag to his carry-on bag
File:Guam Liberation Day 2019 (190722-N-AY639-0008).jpg, The commander of Submarine Squadron 15
Submarine Squadron 15 (also known as SUBRON 15) is a squadron of submarines of the United States Navy based at Naval Base Guam.
Fleet Ballistic Missile squadron 1963–1981
Submarine Squadron Fifteen was established on 1 September 1963 at Pe ...
at Naval Base Guam on a float in the 2019 Liberation Day
Liberation Day is a day, often a public holiday, that marks the liberation of a place, similar to an independence day. Liberation marks the date of either a revolution, as in Cuba, the fall of a dictatorship, as in Portugal, or the end of an oc ...
parade
File:U.S. flags on Memorial Day night in Asan Park, Guam (cropped).jpg, Small U.S. and Guam flags at the Asan
Asan () is a city in South Chungcheong Province, South Korea. It borders the Seoul Capital Area to the north. Asan has a population of approximately 300,000.
Asan is known for its many hot springs and is a city of spas.
Asan has grown int ...
unit of War in the Pacific National Historical Park on Memorial Day
Memorial Day (originally known as Decoration Day) is a federal holiday in the United States for mourning the U.S. military personnel who have fought and died while serving in the United States armed forces. It is observed on the last Monda ...
Former flags
File:Flag of Spain (1785-1873 and 1875-1931).svg, Flag of Spain
The national flag of Spain ( es, Bandera de España), as it is defined in the Constitution of 1978, consists of three horizontal stripes: red, yellow and red, the yellow stripe being twice the size of each red stripe. Traditionally, the middle ...
during Spanish East Indies
The Spanish East Indies ( es , Indias orientales españolas ; fil, Silangang Indiyas ng Espanya) were the overseas territories of the Spanish Empire in Asia and Oceania from 1565 to 1898, governed for the Spanish Crown from Mexico City and Madri ...
(late 17th century–1898).
File:Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg, Flag of Japan
The national flag of Japan is a rectangular white banner bearing a crimson-red circle at its center. This flag is officially called the , but is more commonly known in Japan as the . It embodies the country's sobriquet: the Land of the Rising ...
during the Japanese occupation of Guam
The Japanese occupation of Guam was the period in the history of Guam between 1941 and 1944 when Imperial Japanese forces occupied Guam during World War II. The island was renamed Ōmiya-Jima ('Great Shrine Island').
Events leading to the occ ...
(1941–1944).
See also
*
Guam
Guam (; ch, Guåhan ) is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the westernmost point and territory of the United States (reckoned from the geographic cent ...
*
Seal of Guam
*
Flags of the U.S. states
References
External links
*
Municipal flags of Guam
{{DEFAULTSORT:Guam, Flag of
Flags introduced in 1948
Flags of the insular areas of the United States
Flag
A flag is a piece of fabric (most often rectangular or quadrilateral) with a distinctive design and colours. It is used as a symbol, a signalling device, or for decoration. The term ''flag'' is also used to refer to the graphic design empl ...
1948 establishments in Guam
Guam
Guam (; ch, Guåhan ) is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the westernmost point and territory of the United States (reckoned from the geographic cent ...